Alleys have been part of the urban morphology of Montreal since the 1800s when they were conceived as narrow streets to access some dwellings and courtyards. As of 1890, back alleys became widespread in the city’s configuration in boroughs like Le Plateau Mont-Royal, Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Villeray, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (Centre d’histoire de Montréal). However, around 1950, alleys were eliminated as part of the city’s morphology in the new neighbourhoods. Furthermore, the use of the alleys changed as they became dark service streets, mainly unused, filthy and, in some areas, dangerous due to the lack of light and activity.
However, in 1980 the alleys experienced a revitalization process thanks to two complementary programs: “Opération Tournesol,” a subsidy program for demolishing sheds in backyards, and the “Place au Soleil” program that transformed 58 back alleys into small parks.
The main feature of the “Place au Soleil” program was the recovery of the alleys by creating a linear park with trees and shrubs while leaving it accessible to car users when they needed it. The principle of the linear park was to transform alleys into pedestrian spaces. Therefore, the pedestrian vocation of these public areas was clearly defined, eliminating car traffic in the back alleys. Furthermore, this program redesigned the alleys to become a new green space to solve the lack of park space in some of Montreal’s densely populated neighbourhoods. Consequently, “Opération Tournesol” and “Place au Soleil” generated public interest (Taquin and Waltz, 1982). The redevelopment of the alleys created a change of vision of the back alleys as unsafe and dirty places. However, despite the effort to revitalize alleys, the programs were abandoned in 1988 because of insufficient funds.
In 1995, a new proposal for enhancing alleys emerged with the creation of the first green alley in Plateau-Mont-Royal, located in Napoleon, Roy, Parc La Fontaine and Mentana streets.
First green alley from the Green Alley Program. Plateau-Mont-Royal. June 2022
The current Green Alley Program appeared due to the citizens’ motivation for redeveloping alleys as public green spaces (Bur et al., 2007). The enthusiasm for green alleys was encouraged by the creation of the Éco-quartiers, also in 1995, whose mission is to provide environmental education and support citizens in their greening initiatives (Ville de Montréal, 2020).
The Green Alley Program is a bottom-up approach that promotes public participation and citizen governance. The boroughs and Éco-quartiers manage the Program, which was conceived to support the citizens’ initiative to enhance back alleys and add greenery. Consequently, the Program aims to provide environmental and well-being benefits by encouraging the reduction of the heat island effect and pollution, increasing biodiversity, and improving water management by including vegetation.
Today, 13 of the 19 boroughs of the city have implemented the Green Alley Program, and there are around 578 green alleys in 11 boroughs as part of the strategy to reduce some of the adverse effects of the climate emergency and to expand green space through the neighbourhoods.
Plateau (2017 vs 2022). Mont-Royal/Coloniale/Cérat. Arrondissement du Plateau- Mont-Royal Facebook (Left), Current condition of the alley. June 2022 (Right).
Plateau (2019 vs 2022) Milton/Parc Ave/Prince-Arthur/Jeanne Mance. Arrondissement du Plateau- Mont-Royal Facebook (Left), Current condition of the alley. June 2022 (Right).
Back alleys represent one of the main features of Montreal’s spatial configuration since they define the morphology of many neighbourhoods in the different boroughs. Alleys form a network of primarily underused public spaces that represent an opportunity to be transformed into green alleys to incorporate vegetation and experience a calm and diverse environment in flora, fauna, and activities, far from the noise of main avenues and congested city areas. Moreover, everyone can enjoy these benefits without leaving the neighbourhood, demonstrating the potential of adapting alleys by including vegetation in an already existing public infrastructure.
Green alleys can generate more than just local benefits. They can also become part of a city’s strategy to adapt the built environment to diverse climate change effects by allocating green infrastructure and repurposing their use. Transforming back alleys into green alleys implies rearranging the space so they become quality public spaces for people instead of secondary streets for vehicular traffic.
Indeed, green alleys can mitigate the heat island effect produced by the paved surfaces by reassigning space for planting vegetation, adding permeable surfaces, and reducing or eliminating car transit to favour walkability and other active modes of transport. Furthermore, green alleys can improve water management and air quality with diverse vegetation types.
These transformations have been implemented in boroughs like Plateau-Mont-Royal, Sainte-Marie in Ville-Marie, Rosemont, Sud-Ouest, Verdun, and Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, where some of the alley entrances are closed to car circulation and transformed with green surfaces, gardens, and trees. These rearrangements represent a significant change in the usage of alleys since greenery enhances the quality of these public spaces, generating an active and safe use due to the limited or restricted car transit.
Sud-Ouest (Left), Plateau-Mont-Royal (Center), Maisonneuve (Right).
Most green alleys improve the thermal comfort of pedestrians due to the trees and walls with vegetation that provide shade and make the alleys cooler than regular streets. Furthermore, several new alleys are adding permeable surfaces with grass or vegetation. Therefore, these transformations reduce the urban heat island effect.